- More than six in 10 Malawians (63%) trust the courts “somewhat” or “a lot” (Figure 1).
- The most likely destinations for citizens seeking resolution of disputes are traditional leaders or traditional courts (cited by 42% of citizens) and the police (35%) (Figure 2).
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents believe punishments handed down to political leaders, government officials, or other powerful people who have broken the law are too lenient, while a slim majority (53%) feel ordinary people are given unduly harsh penalties (Figure 3).
- Most Malawians (71%) say they are unlikely to be able to afford court cases. Half (49%) believe the timely resolution of court cases is unlikely, and nearly half (47%) think judgements will likely be unfair (Figure 4).
- Two-thirds of Malawians (66%) believe they can get justice from the courts if they are wronged (Figure 5).
A majority of Malawians trust the country’s formal courts, according to a new Afrobarometer survey, with the share of trusting citizens remaining stable since the previous survey in 2022.
Despite this level of trust, Malawians are most likely to turn to traditional leaders if they have a dispute with an individual or a business in their community that required resolution.
Nearly two-thirds of citizens believe that punishments handed down to political leaders, government officials, or other powerful people who have broken the law are too lenient, while a slim majority feel ordinary people are given unduly harsh penalties.
Most Malawians say they are unlikely to be able to afford court cases, while half believe the timely resolution of court cases is unlikely. Despite this, a large majority of respondents are confident that ordinary citizens can get justice in the courts if they are wronged.